Sunshine can lift winter spirits, but skin still needs protection from UV rays.In Australia, high skin cancer rates compel students to slap on hats and sunscreen at recess year 'round. Now comes nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter at the tiniest molecular level. It's used in developing scores of surprising products--including sunblock, as this week's activity reveals. Will your sun worshippers see promise or peril? Speaking of summer, check out these cool engineering programs for students and teachers, including one sponsored by ASEE .
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Lesson: Explore Nano Sunblock
 Sunblocks containing nanoparticles are one of the most common applications of nanotechnology. In this quick, hands-on lesson using everyday materials, students in grades K-12 compare sunblock containing nanoparticles to those that do not and learn how nanoparticles are used to help block harmful rays from the sun.
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Feature: Peril in Small Places
 More and more consumer products are being developed using super-small particles, but is nanotechnology safe? This article examines the steps scientists are taking to find an answer, including research that already has revealed some startling and complicated results.
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K-12 News: E-Books for All Students?
 Farewell, bulky backpacks--at least in Florida. State education officials recently rolled out a five-year proposal that calls for all K-12 students to use only "electronic materials" delivered by Kindles, iPads and other similar technology by 2015.
Read More To follow the Elementary and Secondary Education Act's overhaul, visit ESEA Watch.
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Extra! Watson Humbles Humans
 It may just be the greatest man vs. machine matchup since chess champion Garry Kasparov squared off against Deep Blue. This week, the two most celebrated and successful players in Jeopardy history matched wits in a three-day competition against Watson, an IBM supercomputer, and, as many predicted, the artificial intelligence program won by a landslide. Read More |
 Just in at the eGFI store, "If I Were an Engineer" is a fun, colorful rhyming book that introduces engineering to kids from ages 5 to 8. Click the link to check out sample pages as well as our new introductory kit (one book, one mag, a pack of cards & poster). Limited quantities, so get 'em while they're hot!
Sample pages
Buy the kids' book or intro kit
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 February marks National Engineers Week (Feb. 20-26), and we plan to celebrate the entire month by giving away a pack of our eGFI cards to one lucky Facebook fan each week.
Our Facebook page for teachers is a great way to learn about contests, web resources, K-12 education news and lessons plans. It also offers a great way to interact with other STEM teachers across the nation--and around the world. Whether you're looking for a cool activity to engage your students or wrestling with rubrics, our Facebook community can help.
So, become a fan now!
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